ascend vs klipsch

[marky]

I currently have klipsch rb25s and rc25. they are great for movies but lack in the music deparment. i took the dive and ordered 340 mains and center from ascend. can anyone tell me how much of a improvement ill be getting? the klipsch are a little to foward for my tastes. they are clear but in your face at the same time.

 

[cyberbri]

The sound will be very different. Klipsch are known for being bright, while Ascend are known for being more flat and accurate. How much of an improvement it is depends on if you like the sound signature better.

Did you order the matching stands for the 340s? They look great and put the speakers at the perfect height (I just got 3x 340s, 2x 170s, and a HSU VTF-3 this week).

 

[corey]

I sure wish I had seen this a few weeks ago, I'd have made you an offer on your RB-25's & RC-25. Oh well. I think you've made more of a horizontal move than a verticle one. You should get a bit more mid-bass, anyway.

"Klipsch are known for being bright" No one that posts this ever has frequency response data to go with it. I've measured 2 sets of Klipsch front speakers (RB-35/RC-25 & RB-61/RC-52) and found no rise in the high end.

 

[NetGeek]

It's the horn tweeters

I sure wish I had seen this a few weeks ago, I'd have made you an offer on your RB-25's & RC-25. Oh well. I think you've made more of a horizontal move than a verticle one. You should get a bit more mid-bass, anyway.

"Klipsch are known for being bright" No one that posts this ever has frequency response data to go with it. I've measured 2 sets of Klipsch front speakers (RB-35/RC-25 & RB-61/RC-52) and found no rise in the high end.

They are what make Klipsch "bright" and in your face; not too many speakers use horns and it seems that you either like them or don't.

A speakers frequency response has nothing to do with the speakers sound, be it warm, neutral or bright, it just shows the range of frequencies the speaker can reproduce.

 

[tomd51]

"Klipsch are known for being bright" No one that posts this ever has frequency response data to go with it. I've measured 2 sets of Klipsch front speakers (RB-35/RC-25 & RB-61/RC-52) and found no rise in the high end.

Rarely do speaker's sonic and tonal characteristics match up with their FR measurements. I've heard several lines of Klipschs ranging from their Reference and Synergy bookshelfs to their Heresy and Klipschorn full range speakers. The only models that did not sound very forward and so-called "bright" in their presentation were the RF-7s, the Heresys and the Klipschorns.

This is not to say there's anything "wrong" with the other Klipsch offerings. On the contrary, I've found on the whole Klipsch produces a very good speaker for the money. The general consensus, which is subjective, believe that most Klipsch speakers tend to colorize the signal a bit more than a fairly neutral speaker. I've owned a few Klipsch bookshelfs myself and thought they performed very well for their size and price. I also know a few folks using their Reference series towers and they are more than pleased with them.

I'd have to agree with Cyberbri, Ascends will sound quite different than the Klipsch models you noted. They tend to be very neutral, adding little to the original signal. Now whether you prefer that or not, that's going to be up to you to decide...

Speaker preference is very subjective and rarely (if ever) can a blanket statement be made about the characteristics of all of a speaker manufacturer's offerings, but typically, a good portion of their speakers will have similar sonic characteristics... -TD

 

[marky]

thanks for the replies, I was hoping to get some answers on the how these speakers compare in terms of output. Will the ascends fill the my room more? they are considered full range speakers. i guess a better term would the sound field? the klipschs are a little too foward for my taste for music, thats why I'm trying the ascends out to see if i like it.

 

[Rex]

I agree that all the Klipsch speakers I''ve heard sound bright until I heard the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 speakers. Guaranteed to knock the competitions socks-off. They are definitely not bright sounding.

 

[tomd51]

thanks for the replies, I was hoping to get some answers on the how these speakers compare in terms of output. Will the ascends fill the my room more? they are considered full range speakers. i guess a better term would the sound field? the klipschs are a little too foward for my taste for music, thats why I'm trying the ascends out to see if i like it.

I believe you'll find the Ascends a bit more neutral and laid back in regards to music, which will be rather different than the 'forward' sounding Klipschs speakers you have. This, in turn, will likely allow you to listen for longer periods without any listening fatigue.

From your listening experience you've described to this point, I think you'll find the Ascends much more pleasing and find yourself happy with your decision. Keep in mind these will sound quite different, so they may take some time (a few hours, a few days, etc.) to get used to, so at the very least, afford them some time before making a final decision on them... -TD

 

[indcrimdefense]

i have a set of klipsch rf-7, rf-5 & the sf-1. depending on what components they are used with they can be bright. however with the right components they can sound fantastic, & that includes all 3 speakers listed above. this weekend i demoed the paradigm signature 8 at home, & did alot of switching back & forth between the rf-7 & the sig 8. both are very good speakers in their own respects, & are completely different animals, & sound completely different. at times the paradigms sounded as bright if not brighter than the rf-7, and at times i preferred the sound of the rf-7 to the sig 8. i can guarantee you it was a much more difficult decision to make than i would have originally thought, as the difference is not only in the treble but how the speaker makes bass as well. the rf-7 produces a "body" of sound that i have yet to find the equal of without spending alot more money, & is a great home theater speaker, to the point that i never seriously considered buying a sub. of course a sub would produce more bass, & at the lower frequencies, but things were already vibrating & rattling in the kitchen on heavy bass sections of movies (star wars II - opening scene is a great example). the paradigm does not produce this same "body" of sound, & certainly does not do it in a home theater setting. not that the paradigm is without bass, it's just a different kind of bass. where the paradigm shines is detail, clarity, & more detail, & a fantastic treble & midrange, & a profound difference in musical quality over the klipsch. the rf-7 is a great speaker for the money, it was a more difficult decision to make than i originally suspected. comparing klipsch & other speakers can be like comparing apples & oranges, you really have to listen for yourself & make up your own mind, but the sig 8 & rf-7 represent 2 very, very different approaches to reproducing sound. the other thing is that your level settings will be completely out of whack going from a klipsch speaker to one without horn tweeters & to a speaker that may be more difficult to drive, so make sure you do a complete set up w/ spl meter once you get the new speakers. hope you enjoy the new speakers.

 

[marky]

thanks for the replies, I do find the klipsch bookshelfs to be a little forward for my tasted so I hope this works out. Like I said before, they are great for movies but leaves you wanting more, like somethings missing. I did notice that during one movie when glass was being broken, they sounded ear piercing. So the only thing to do now is wait for them to come and do a comparision. what will we be doing if the internet never existed!